Marionette
by Crystal Flare
Summary: Haunting events from the past marred with psychological issues prompted her to make a rash decision based on chats online with a boy, Nakura - switch towns to start a new life and cure herself. Ikebukuro turns out to be far from ordinary, the people she meets horrifyingly far from ordinary. Also, Nakura... the most horrifying. Will he be her savior or destruction? OCxIZAYAxSHIZUO
1. Chapter 0 - Prologue

Hello all~!

This is my first Durarara fanfiction and it's based on the anime and what little information I get from websites/translation of the light novel (though I'm still deciding whether I will have plots taken from there or continue with fresh ideas). I love the anime, most of the chars are so messed up, but still it captures your attention. Epic. Amazing! Anyway, this will be an OC story, no pairings at the beginning although I would powerfully hint towards an **OCxIzaya pairing** x3 who knows if I am going to keep it like that or not *is the type who changes thoughts/ideas quickly*

_1__st__ POV / thoughts will be in italics – usually._

**Mature rating** as a precaution: some of the content will have very graphic scenes (blood, torture, xxx contact of various natures), explicit language and cursing, lots of cursing at one point. Will reinforce the warning when such chapters will be posted for those who might not wish to read such parts.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Durarara chars, settings, bla bla bla, only my own OCs and plots.

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**Marionette**

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**Prologue**

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_Ikebukuro..._

_From afar you may believe it's just one of the many fragment of Tokyo, a normal Japanese city, like any you could find scattered throughout this country's rich lands. It has the same characteristics any modern city of this age would have, the same urban vibe and rhythms flowing in between the concrete and steel monsters, insufflating life into these artificial entities. Flocks of sky scrapers are planted in the center of the town and appear to have sprung from right underneath the earth itself in the same fashion mother nature's trees emerge from the ground beneath our feet, growing higher and higher like their sole purpose in this world is to reach the heavens and reign supreme over humanity. Waves of people and cars are roaming around the spaces created between these massive constructions on a daily basis, struggling to get to their destinations as fast and as soon as possible. The restless inhabitants of Ikebukuro are living their lives after a normal, yet suffocating, routine, which they are unable or, perhaps, unwilling to escape from. _

_However~!_

_There are those who have managed to overcome such impediments, after realizing... life is just too damn short, no matter how you look at it. If it isn't lived to its fullest, then the whole idea of living seems... pointless... a cradle of pain and suffering we humans go through for what purpose in the end? Nothing... With such thoughts in mind some decide to place more effort into shaping their world of tomorrow in forms different compared to today's or yesterday's. Evolution. This is the key, the aim - if you will - of this challenging game called 'life'. Stagnation is the beast plaguing this fun little game humans have been blessed with, a monster that is constantly and shamelessly eating one's soul away, indivertibly turning the user's purpose in life into a meaningless one. You could just as well be dead, wouldn't really change anything, would it? _

_However... _

_For those less fortunate these changes started occurring not because of the person's own free will. No... but... rather because of the involvement of certain individuals, which clutched upon oneself like parasitic creatures that did not want to let go unless they've drained you of all your energy and even more. The worst kind were those who loved gifting people false dreams and positive emotions for the sole purpose of shattering them at the end in a way that tore your entire being down, bringing you to a point far worse than in the beginning... a point where life was becoming a burden too heavy to follow._

_._

**Sirens. **

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The deafening noises of sirens were echoing in an unusually frenetic manner that night, like they were announcing the population about a really bad event that had taken place not long ago. Firefighters, police cars, ambulances strolled away at maximum speed towards the edge of the town, driving like there would be no tomorrow.

_I didn't know what I was getting myself into when I arrived in town... that had been made very clear to me from the very first day. I wasn't prepared for this... and I couldn't avoid it..._

A deep and loud sigh escaped her mouth as she leaned more against the thin steel railing, carefully brushing her right hand over her slightly hurting arm. Her left sleeve was almost torn right at the elbow, specks of blood tainting the fabric from the time she had been badly grazed in that earlier altercation. The terrace she was standing on belonged to an average sized residential complex in Ikebukuro, very close to the Sunshine Sixty area. She was aimlessly scanning the streets bellow her, lost within her thoughts as images of the past began to flash across her eyes, bringing her mood down as they unraveled in a quick and endless pace.

_All I ever wanted was a fresh new beginning... and to find happiness again._

_I wanted to find a place where I could finally have full control over my life once more and try to rediscover myself after what had happened at the end of my teen years. I wanted to finally accept those events and find the power to move on and stop being afraid all... the... TIME... just lock those awful memories into the deepest corners of my mind and throw away the key for good! Never come back! But I couldn't do that! Not while living there, in the place where my torments began. Osaka. It was nothing more than my personal cradle of misery and every day spent there only brought me down even further. So... I've realized that the only way to properly heal and move on was to actually to 'move' on. But by doing so, I've shattered all of the real life bonds I had in the process, all of which I've created and maintained for so many years, from childhood 'till high school times... To those people I've now become nothing but a faint nostalgic memory. My friends, my family... Looking back, I think I was quite rash... naïve in my judgment... to think that running away from anything that reminded me of 'it' would be the answer to my wishes coming true._

_**Silly me...**_

_I keep wondering even now... if I hadn't left... if I hadn't left mom and the others... how would my life have looked today? Would I have been any less conflicted? Would this pain inside my heart be any less present? Would I have been happier without these bizarre people I've come to know? Would I have still been depressed? Even more broken? Even... _

_**Dead?**_

She shifted her gaze towards the night sky, the inky black texture slowly getting overcome by a thick layer of clouds. A storm would be setting over the town very soon, trying to wash away the events of tonight; the sky, the moist smell and the steadily growing winds were proof of that too. Ignoring the sudden pain shot through her wounded arm, the girl tightly gripped the cold steel railing with mixed emotions bottling up inside of her, feeling like they were ready to burst out of her any second now, in a form she didn't know yet... She reached a breaking point from where she could find no escape route, there was nothing in the present for her to cling onto anymore... only dreams and wishes that could never come true... not with him around... as much as it hurt, he... just wasn't the right answer if she indeed wanted a brighter future.

_Everything is a mess... _

A heavy sigh escaped her lips as she shifted her position, leaning with her back against the railing while her gaze randomly searched the state of her shabby clothes which carried various stains of red, mostly not her own though, layers of dust and dirt. She bet she looked like a homeless/serial killer at that moment, she thought as the wind grew stronger, messing up her auburn hair further... yet, another thing she was 'thankful' for Ikebukuro – trouble was everywhere here and if you got caught up in the wrong crowds then it usually ended up in some bloodshed. A few corpses here and there too, to make it seem like an even more welcoming town.

A sudden flash of white, shortly followed by a deafening thunder announced the beginning of the storm, slowly feeling the touch of the many icy droplets, which were falling into a still slow, steady rhythm. But what truly woke the girl up from her train of thoughts was a familiar faint aroma of a man's cologne, which began messing with her sense of smell, unconsciously inhaling in more and more of it. She immediately realized who was the one interrupting her moment of silence, but did not bother to flinch or run... it would be futile now... She raised her head from the ground and stared right in front of the shadowy figure of the man, who had, just seconds ago, jumped down from the nearby roof like it was the most natural action to do, casually making his way towards her under the rain. Crimson liquid was tainting the switchblade he was so fond of carrying around, twirling it in the air so carelessly and at the same time, carrying that menacing aura he enjoys using on people. His odd, yet enchanting, brown eyes were like chocolate, but not just any kind. The iris was tainted in a unique red shade making his whole gaze appear quite devilish and unholy – just like he was.

"Mi-tsu-ke-taaaa my little angel~!"

A mocking grin spread across his face as his eyes narrowed, his whole expression being a mixture of playfulness and danger, never ending his activity with the switch blade. She was staring **a**t him, her stomach jumping all of a sudden and tightening with every step he took forward, being flooded with an odd sensation as her heart began to rush in its pace. Her eyes were piercing his, never once breaking the contact for in front of her was the reason she even considered Ikebukuro as the city to start her new journey to recovery. In front of her was the reason... she now ended up choosing the rash path to escape his grasp...

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**"Hey... Nakura-kun? Is Ikebukuro really such a great place to be part of...?"**

**"I'd never leave it even if I were forced to, Tenshi-chan~! ^o^ You'll 3 it, I'm sure of it!"**

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Her lips curving faintly at the memory, with a swift movement, she grabbed onto the railing one last time and pushed her entire body weight up, mentally cursing the throbbing and pain felt inside of her body, both physically and emotionally. This was it, no turning back... like every decision so far, no way to turn time around and redo it, rethink it or change it. Throwing herself over towards nothingness and simply... falling... falling... falling down like the curtain of rain drops, leaving behind the man...

...whose playful grin had instantly faded away.

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**Crystal:** Congrats for reaching the end~! *gives some cookies*

I hope you liked it. What the hell happened? Confused? Well, surprised if you weren't. This isn't the actual beginning of the story. More like a sneak peak of what lies in store in the future. This will be an important future scene, which will take place after the girl had settled in Ikebukuro and lived for quite some time in the city. It will be a crucial moment in her life and not only in hers~~ pam pam paaam~! The entire night will affect more than one character and will mark the start of that truly fresh new beginning for some and ending for others. In what category does she lie? Who knows...

Future chapters will bring the story back to the first day in Ikebukuro and will portray the days, weeks, months that passed by... the events that triggered all of _Tenshi-chan's_ thinking in this part.


	2. Chapter 1 - Sunset Paranoia

Hello all~!

Hope you're doing alright ^^ I'm really curious to see what your opinions are so if you have time I'd love some feedback from you guys ^^ Things are still going a bit slow in the story, but there will be more action packed sequences in further chapters XD

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Durarara chars, settings, bla bla bla, only my own OCs and plot devices.

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**Marionette**

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**C1. Sunset Paranoia**

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Ikebukuro was simply radiating with life that evening. All the way downtown, you could see people of all ages and colors enjoying the remaining warmth of the spring's sun, before the night would fall over the city and wrap everyone in its shivering cold grasp. There were so many smiling couples and groups outside – it felt like they were all in sync with nature and the entire atmosphere the day was providing with this wonderful sunset.

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_One step. _

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_Two steps. _

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_Three steps._

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The new arrival was hesitant in her walking ever since she had left the train station. Her eyes trailed onto every curve, every rigid corner of the foreign constructions decorating the streets. She forced her mind to remember as many details as she could in case she needed to one day return to this place. A few townspeople threw quick annoyed glances when they had nearly bumped into her by accident while she was aimlessly staring at this new world in front of her eyes.

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**'Get it going gal, this road ain't a pit stop!'**

_._

An adrenaline rush was flowing though her veins the moment she realized what an inconvenience she turned out to be for some really stressed out dangerously-looking people, so she commanded her feet to move the hell out of there and fast before anyone would think to threaten her with their heavy briefcases... or worse.

Needless to say the situation was leaving the girl a little paranoid, convinced that more and more pair of eyes were suddenly following her every movement since that guy's remark and she could not shake off that feeling even after she passed a few blocks, every few seconds looking behind her to see if she was being followed by anyone... such a notion sent chills down her spine and at one point even regretted her stupid decision to come here, mostly on a whim really... I mean, all she did was give up the comfort and security of her home in exchange for a town she had never had a chance of visiting in the past. The only information about Ikebukuro was collected from the few traveling sites she could find on the web and, mostly, from her online friend, Nakura, with whom she talked about it the most during some of their late night chatting. Even to this day she didn't know why she had allowed herself to be convinced with such ease, why she allowed to become so charmed by the stories he was constantly sending her about this place and its many enchanting urban legends, like that one with the Black Rider. Nakura felt like he knew how her mind worked and what sparked her interest... like he could see what she was missing and that's what Ikebukuro was offering...

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_'Heeeee... You really think I'm enchanting? Aww, you're making me blush~! You're extremely lucky since I'm currently free to please you in any way you want and whenever you want ~~~ when you move here, of course. ^.~'_

_._

_'I said those LEGENDS were enchanting, not you! And I never said I want to move there! And why would I want to be near you?! Gosh… =.='_

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_'Awww. Tenshi-chan hates me… ;~; it feels so cold... I feel like crying myself to sleep and never wake up... (T.T) *heartbroken*'_

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_'Those aren't even real tears!', _she rolled her eyes slightly amused._ 'And... I don't hate you, Nakura-kun; stop being so silly. I only asked of you to STOP joking about such things! –Big sigh– =.= Idiot!'_

_._

_'You're so meaaaaan, Tenshi-chan~! But deep deep DEEP down I know you want me~~~ ;P'_

_._

_-Tenshi-chan logged off –_

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_'All by myseeeeeeeelf... don't wanna be all by myseeeeeeeeelf…. Anymore!' (continues spamming her with love song/break up/ whatever you want lyrics for quite some time)_

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_"Nakura, you idiot..."_, she thought, her lips curving up slightly as her mind was rewinding one of their many talks. _"Always saying these stupid things. You better not make me regret choosing Ikebukuro or I swear I will find you and strangle you with my hands." _

Despite all the cursing and scolding (from her part), taunting, flirting and non stop teasing (from his part), she still couldn't bring herself to fully trust this Nakura character, no matter how much he made himself look so... approachable and... slightly adorable. Something inside her was preventing this, the girl's mind constantly warning her not to let things get too out of control with this guy, constantly screaming at her to stop getting so close because... because... his types turn out to be the most dangerous and she didn't want the past to repeat itself... Also... she didn't know how to put it in words... but there was a certain charm in him that she felt drawn to... know more.

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And that was bothering her greatly!

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And the fact she had already shared far too much private information about herself to Nakura was also problematic for her. To make matters even worse, she had caved into his spammish/ _innocent _pleading regarding photo sharing... although not completely, as tempting as it was.

The photograph she had sent him was a pretty old one, from back when she was around sixteen – the peak of her abnormal hair dying frenzy period of her teenage hood. At that time her hair had grown past her waist line and the various colors she chose to dye it with were – a very, very dark shade of crimson at the roots, slowly lighting up at the edges as she added tones of black, red, orange and cream, making the whole thing appear like it had caught fire. Nowadays, the girl was nothing like her sixteen years old version, her hair kept only at shoulder length having an inky black texture – something plain and simple, not intended for grabbing any attention at all. Average. One more reason, as to why she had chosen that specific picture and not another, was the fact that no matter how he'd view it, Nakura would not be able to see much of her face, carefully being hidden behind her hands. The only clear feature was the pair of bright hazel eyes, its shape emphasized by the use of some thick black eyeliner and a soft dark eye shadow. So basically, she showed him nothing, yet too much at the same time.

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_'Such a tease, Tenshi-chan~! Dx'_

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But even after complaining about this for quite some time, he finally kept his end of the bargain. A pic for a pic. And like in retaliation, what she received from him was the same type of image. Similar pose to the girl's, the only difference being his expression. While she appeared more serious, his whole attitude was a lot more playful in comparison. He was winking at her in the way she'd imagine him to, appearing innocent, yet being rather... suspiciously seductive. She remembered staring at his photo for at least an hour straight trying to remember his features, but of course she never mentioned this to him and kept it cool with her messages... even causing him to fake cry again when she didn't give the compliments he was expecting.

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_No reason to fuel his ego even more, that would be terrible... imagine an upgraded Nakura with new skills at complaining and even more teasing... *shudders*_

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That night, after he went to sleep, she must have stayed awake a good couple of hours, constantly imagining how the rest of him would have looked like... no special reasons behind that wish! Just... her curiosity can sometimes become too great and puzzles were what she loved solving best during her free time. This guy didn't seem to have very bad physical traits from what she could tell, even with that V-cut shirt on... which partly explained the high self-esteem he possessed. Also, the way he was gazing towards the camera when he took that photo... she was under the impression he was actually piercing through her soul threatening to cause the bubbling inside to crumble the wall she had put up against him, bursting out in a form that was beginning to terrify her...

But let's not forget this was the internet. People could become much braver here under the mask of anonymity, more sociable with the right crowd – the girl knew this feeling really well since in real life... it was rather difficult to have normal conversations with people... actually to talk to just anyone. Which, come to think about it, made the move towards Ikebukuro an even crazier notion, well down idiotic... Ugh!

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_I wasn't always like this though... was quite the opposite really, the 'life and soul of the party' as I was once called and actually... quite similar in attitude and action with Nakura if I think about it… I envy that sometimes. And speaking of that troublemaker –_

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– he made it obvious that he was truly eager to meet her face-to-face or at least see her from afar if she was so shy about it. He even suggested scenarios, find a crowd or some sort of place to her liking filled with people and if she felt that she indeed wasn't keen on conversing with him then... she just had to text him and he would leave her alone and not follow her since it was fairly easy to notice how reserved the girl was when giving out personal details. How many months it took for that photo exchange to happen (many!) and Nakura didn't wish to scare her away too badly, especially after _'Tenshi-chan'_ had given him the news that the move to Ikebukuro would become official. She finally rented a place and found possible jobs she would be able to do there. She had indeed become a fairly nice distraction from his reality, but of course, he didn't say it in those exact words... whether it was a compliment or not, had a deeper meaning or none at all, she did not know... or wish to know at the moment, but still thanked him either way, not before once more declining his silly meeting idea, thus commencing another wave of fictional tears.

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_For someone who mentioned he was 'forever 21' at heart, he sure seemed more like 'forever 2 or 1'. _

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Plus, who was to say he wouldn't have shown up anyway at the train station and spot her in the crowd since apparently it was not too difficult to point out who felt like a wondering new comer. And, and then... after as she got on his radar, it wouldn't be too hard to stalk her all the way back to the rented apartment she had found in Ikebukuro and, and... She'd read certain articles about people meeting in real life after spending some time over the web together. Those stories didn't end pretty, the men being those types who would say anything, do anything it took to gain the trust of those naïve young girls... The thought was good enough to cause her to cringe and shudder bringing her back to the darker parts of her memories.

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Paranoia was latching onto her again. But stuff like this can happen and why risk it happening to you when there are plenty of ways to avoid such unnecessary stress?!

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Not to mention, she wasn't ready to reveal to him her inability to talk to people which for most was a reason to ridicule and hurt her – no matter how hard she willed it, words would no longer pass her lips, rendering her completely soundless when it came to face-to-face conversations. Alone in a room, she had... fairly better chances, however even those occasions were so rare when she'd allow her voice to come out even as a whisper. Immediately her mind would go back to that time when numerous sly words would constantly be whispered in her ears, haunting her so clearly to this very day and afterwards she would always feel the need to gag, worst case have a panic attack. So, liking it or not, Nakura was not going to get what he wanted any time soon!

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And speaking of Nakura...

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Her phone was beeping all of a sudden, the girl stopping in the middle of the sidewalk as she was searching the inside pockets of her backpack for the little red smartphone she carried. The screen was lit up, his name popping up in a message he had just sent.

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_'Tenshi-chaaaaaaan~! You've been so silent these past days... Don't tell me... you finally moved to Ikebukuro?!'_

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_'Gosh... I was hoping it would remain my secret...'_

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_'EEEEEH? I was right?! O_O'_

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_'Ah! Sorry, Sorry, Sorry! Train got here half an hour ago... Don't get all upset now! ^^;'_

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_'You forgot about me, again... you're so, so, so cold... *__depressed*__ ;~; ' _

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_'I diiiiiiiidn't~!', _followed by_ 'mean to forget... ^.^ *smiles innocently*'_

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_'You don't love me anymore... *pouts* ;~;'_

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_'I never said I did in the first place!', _continued with_ 'Also. I know fake crying when I read it. It doesn't work on me anymore, you of all people should have figured this out by now!' _

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_'You never said it before, but I know you want to say it now ^.~ **COME INTO MY ARMS! '**_

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_'There are loads of things I want to say to you. One – starts with an fu and ends with a ck, finishing touches being: you.'_

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_'Even better! Your place or mine, Tenshi-chan~? –licks lips–'_

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_'DIDN'T MEAN IT IN THAT WAY! Stop having such a disturbing mind –yells-! O_e '_

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The girl rolled her eyes and sighed, not even the least bit surprised of the bold proposal Nakura had made. How did she know he was going to misread her words and think of yet another dirty meaning behind them? Bloody idiot! At this rate she would surely end up playing along his lame ass flirting game and that was totally unacceptable. She placed her phone into the pocket of her light grey jeans and sighed heavily once more as she dragged her feet towards the big squared fountain built at the center of one of the more important squares of Ikebukuro. She rested a bit on one of the basin's edges, hoping she'd blend well with the various locals already present in the area. She inhaled deeply, taking in the fresh moist air while she felt the wind lightly brush over her heated cheeks. The girl's attention was almost instantly caught by the view above, ignoring the buzzing from her pants caused by Nakura's messaging. Groaning, she at one point she shoved the phone out of her pockets and noticed at least seven new entries from the guy.

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But for the first time since she knew him... his speech pattern felt like it changed.

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_'By the way, you'd better be careful out there.', 'Not wanting to frighten you or anything, but...', 'The color gangs are the most active when it's nightfall and a frail little girl like you might be in serious danger all alone.', 'It only takes a look or a gesture and you'll become their next victim for suuuure~!', 'So...', 'It's best you should hurry to your home.', 'I wouldn't want Tenshi-chan to become a real angel.' _

Not wanting to frighten her? **_Are you fucking kidding me... ?!_**

With her free hand tightly gripping the strap of her red shoulder bag, she quickly ended the mini break near the fountain, swiftly walking away from the crowded square. Ten minutes or so and she would finally arrive to the apartment complex and meet the kind person who had rented her the apartment so cheaply to get the keys... or so she thought. During the speed walking, the girl didn't stop texting Nakura, who had shifted from that surprisingly more mature version of himself back to the annoying needy child mode.

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_'Tenshi-chaaaaaan?', _name repeated eight times or more_ 'Don't tell me they've already gotten youuuu~! ;~;'_

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_'I'm not that helpless Nakura-chan!'_

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_'She's aliiiiiiiive~!'_

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_'I'm a lot more resourceful than you think.'_

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_'I wonder about that... Also, Nakura-chan? You've never called me that before.'_

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_'Don't you like it...? I thought it sounded cute.'_

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_'What part of me do you find cute? ^.~'_

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_'I hope that was a rhetorical question. A hilarious one if I may add, though I am not laughing one bit –yawn–.', 'Considering you're like a child most of the time, I think it's a perfect fit for you, don't you agree?'_

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_'Always so mean to me... what kind of an angel are you? You're more and more like a devil woman every day!' _

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_'Oh, shush! I'm not that bad as you are sometimes!'_

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All that chatting, she didn't notice a rather tall and muscular figure wondering around the street corner, her mind being focused on how annoying Nakura was to notice anything else. She noticed the man's presence far too late to avoid bumping into his massively built body, which... _Damn it to hell, what?! He felt like a freaking stone wall, this was impossible! Impossible!, _she thought panicked.

Due to the shock of the powerful collision, she couldn't properly maintain her balance thus stumbling on the ground, quickly ending up on her butt. The phone slid out of her hand almost instantly, gliding onto the rocky pavement a few meters away from where she was lying. God, what was wrong with her?! She clutched her left arm and could feel a lot of pain pulsing from that spot. Oh, great... just freaking great.

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"Stupid Nakura and his stupid spamming! Now what have I gotten myself into... Eh?"

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The girl lifted her head only to be completely frozen by the piercing stare of the man in front of her. He was bent down, placing most of his weight on the knee he propped onto the stone pavement. His face came dangerously close to hers and carried an expression that would surely make even the braver men quake nervously... Trouble. She was sure she was in trouble and in a big one too. She could easily tell. The guy looked pissed off. Her hazel eyes were at the mercy of his pair of grayish blue ones that were so... so damn terrifying... like in any second they would envelope around the girl and suck the entire life from her body, leaving behind only an empty carcass, the reminder of an existence, which formerly resided the body. She could feel the tears gathering at a rapid pace, this exact scene so similar to the one four years ago...

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Suddenly.

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His hoarse voice broke down the tense silence between them, the words that followed taking the girl completely by surprise. She wasn't expecting such a reaction at all...

"You not hurt, yes? Russian Sushi, you want to try, yes?", ending it with a really gentle smile.

"..."

_'O_o ... Did not expect this...'_

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Crystal: Have another round of cookies! *or if you dislike sweets, then have a high-five!*

I think Simon, as a char in the show, is one of those good examples where the sentence - 'not to judge the individual by its cover' comes to mind with ease. Of course, when he interacts with Izaya... expect him becoming less of a softy.


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